Page 114 of Thorns of Lust
“Why was he here?”
Sasha’s gaze shifted to me, studying me. “Who?”
I narrowed my eyes, not in the mood for his games. “Don’t ‘who’ me, Sasha? I’m not an owl. Why was Illias here?”
I realized my mistake the moment his name slipped through my lips. I should have referred to him by his last name. It was more impersonal.
“Why do you think he was here?” he replied with his own question.
I shrugged. “If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking you. Would I?”
Sasha let out a sardonic breath. “Any of your friends ever tell you that you’re a pain?”
“Nope.” My lips twitched with amusement. “Nobody ever dared because they were scared of you and–” My voice faltered. I swallowed the tiny lump in my throat. Any boys in high school feared seeing my brother or my bodyguard. It meant someone was getting an ass-whooping. “You’re the only one that dared to ever say it to my face.”
He smiled, that cool, smug smile as he watched me with that ever-knowing look.
To the outside world, Sasha was a psychotic, cold blooded killer. To me, he was the brother who showed the most affection and understanding. Although still significantly older, he was closer in age to me than Vasili. And he was more playful. There were certain games Vasili would never dare to play with me. Sasha didn’t give two shits. If I wanted him to hold a Barbie and play with me, he would.
“You look really good,” he remarked.
“Don’t I always,” I joked, rolling my eyes.
The worry in his expression didn’t wane. “You do, but the past year was hard. I was worried.”
I waved my hand, hoping he’d stop worrying about me. He’d have a wife soon. He and Branka would be making their way to the altar in no time. I’d bet on it.
“We, the Nikolaevs, always come out on top,” I remarked dryly. “You know that.”
His expression told me that we didn’t. Mother didn’t come out on top. Father didn’t come out on top. Alexei had a shitty life. Vasili almost lost the love of his life thanks to the web of lies Mother left behind. Okay, so maybe we didn’t come out winners. Whatever.
“What’s the deal with Konstantin and you?” Sasha asked as he leaned back in the chair. He hoped to catch me off guard, but he taught me too well. I’d never spill. Not until I was ready.
“No deal at all.”
“Then why does he want to marry you?” My chest flared from hot to a full blown volcano. My pulse raced. My blood rushed through my veins like I had gotten an injection of a powerful drug.
“Say what?” My lips moved. I said those words. But I couldn’t hear them, my ears buzzed so loud.
“He demands your hand in marriage, my lady,” Sasha repeated dryly. Fucker!
When I was a little girl, I made him play pretend with me where I was a princess and he was a knight in shining armor. Then I made him mimic phrases I’d heard in a historical play but he always ruined it with his constant eye rolling every time he would say the phrases. Then he mockingly called me ‘My Lady’ and ‘Your Highness’ for months.
“The all mighty, powerful Pakhan wants you to be his bride. What say you, oh my lovely lady? Or should I say Your Highness?”
He even made that rolling motion with his hand in front of him as he bowed, like those men on the show. Although he seemed a bit rusty at it. The fact that he was sitting while doing it killed his suave.
“You’re a dick,” I snapped, getting to my feet. “And I won’t marry him.”
The fucker should be askingme, not my brothers. I wouldn’t be a pawn shuffled around the board like I was nothing. Illias Konstantin needed a reminder of who the most powerful piece on the chess board was. The queen.
So he better get down on his knees and beg for my hand.
“Vasili wants peace,” he remarked, letting out an amused breath. “But not to worry, I told them all as much. My sister knows what she wants and the Pakhan is notit.”
The conviction in my brother’s voice made me feel like a fraud. It was true I didn’t want to marry him, but I wouldn’t exactly say I didn’t want Illias. My body seemed to have a mind of its own when it came to that villain.
Yeah, that villain couldn’t be my king. I’d eat him for breakfast.
